Like Buses
by BadgebunnyUK
Summary: Just a quick scene I imagined with Valerie and Delia after last weeks episode, where the hell is Patsy!.


Like Buses.

N/a- Sorry for the tongue in cheek title, just want to get this out before tonights ep and I've been out all weekend. (forgive the many mistakes.)

Valerie focused briefly on the delicate balance of the tea cup in it's saucer before knocking more boldly than perhaps was warranted on the bedroom door before her.

The anguished sobbing from the other side became at once more muffled and then was replaced by silence and Valerie gave it a good couple of minutes before she knocked again, more gingerly.

A moment later the door clicked softly open, a red eyed Delia appearing in the slim gap and clearly trying to compose herself.

"I saw you come in and you looked… terribly upset, perhaps I should have left you to it but I… I thought, a cup of tea?" Valerie nodded to her offering. "Or perhaps you'd prefer a Horlicks? I haven't got anything stronger I'm afraid..."

Delia allowed the door to open a little further as she carefully took the mismatched china. She looked as though she may close the door again if only her hands hadn't been full and Valarie, now with hands empty, was completely uncertain as to what to do with them until one decided to twist uncomfortably within the other.

"Thank you." Delia spoke with a rawness to her voice, she'd cried herself hoarse.

"I know we have only just met and… you couldn't say I was a friend but sometimes it's good to talk to someone impartial." Valerie shrugged as if that should be easy.

Delia took a step back and turned to place the tea on her bedside as she sat on her bed.

"Did something happen at the hospital? A patient?" Valerie guessed coming into the room.

Delia shook her head no. "Not work." She confirmed. "It's stupid really." Delia began pitifully.

Valerie didn't imagine that anything stupid could cause the wounded sounds that had filled this room only moments ago.

"I doubt that." Valerie said gently. She had noticed a sadness in Delia since the moment she arrived at Nonnatus. Not anything overt of course, Delia was one of the friendliest and bubbliest girls here by all accounts and yet on occasion Valerie had caught a glimpse of something else, a hollow gaze and even a moment where Delia had seemed to choke on her own breath and excused herself from the room as the girls were chatting happily. Trixie and Barbra seemed oblivious to Delia's upset and had looked blankly at Valerie when she had attempted to broach it. Still she had felt it and she had watched interactions between Delia and the stern Nurse Crane that had made her even more certain. Nurse Crane handled Delia with care, unlike the way she usually behaved with the others, her sympathy was clear.

"It was a song." Delia croaked as she lifted the teacup to her lips. "We went for a drink after work, a couple of us and a song came on, I had to leave, goodness knows what the girls think of me." Delia shared with an effort at a smile.

Valerie nodded and returned a smaller smile. "A special song can bring a lot of memories rushing back, I'm sure no one would judge you Delia."

"Perhaps."

"If you don't mind me saying. It may help to talk about it. I'm no gossip and a good listener." Valerie assured.

Delia looked warily at the woman beside her. Valerie seemed genuine, she seemed kind and suddenly that kindness made Delia weak.

"I have somebody." Delia began. "I love somebody, with all my heart…" Delia bit at her bottom lip as she fought to contain her tears again. "But they aren't here and I haven't heard… We had plans and … they've just disappeared." Delia shut her mouth tightly again already fearing she had said too much.

Valerie nodded. "I see. You're worried you've been forgotten?" Valerie concluded.

Delia's chest heaved as a heavy breath escaped her. "I suppose."

"I'm sure that isn't the case…" How could anyone forget this charming girl.

"To be honest, even if I have been, all I really want to know is that they're alright, I can't bare not knowing, imagining they're somewhere hurting and alone. I think I'd rather they were with someone else than that." Delia confessed.

Valerie really smiled now, "Not many women would wish that!"

"I just...we've been together a long time but things have always gotten in the way… just when I thought we'd gotten over all that…" Delia sniffed a little. "I don't even know whether I should be angry or worried, afraid. I don't know what to feel...or what to do now." Delia admitted heavily. "It feels like everything I thought I knew is suddenly unreal… I know that doesn't make any sense…"

"Believe me it makes perfect sense." Valerie remarked.

Delia narrowed her eyes a little at the fellow nurse.

"She must be very dear to you." Valerie commented out of nowhere.

Delia froze, her eyes locking with Valerie's, confusion swimming in fear filled eyes. A look Valerie was all too familiar with.

"I...I don't know... what you think you know…" Delia stammered as she stood.

"You said they/them about 15 times Delia...I've played that game enough times to know. I take it she was your pal? Patsy?" Matter of factly. Easy.

Delia froze and looked down on Valerie. How had she been so stupid? let her guard down so fully. But then she played the words back. How would Valerie be so sure? She had played the game?

"You?" Delia realised.

Valerie smiled. "When I was with the army… I had a pal, another nurse and she was everything to me, as I was to her...for a while." Her smile didn't quite reach both sides of her mouth as she remembered.

"I'm sorry…" Delia offered automatically, sitting down again and sighing.

"I know it feels like your world is crumbling around you Delia and the worst thing is that nobody knows, nobody can know. But if Patsy is anything but a complete fool she'll be back here and in your arms as soon as she possibly can and if not…"

Delia's heart clenched like a fist as she waited, as she let that possibility once again cross her mind.

"You'll survive." Valerie announced. "It won't feel like that, not for a long time, but you will and you'll be loved again. Believe me."

Delia smiled somewhat doubtfully. "Thank You."

"No need for thanks. If you ever want to talk again...about anything, you know where to find me." Valerie informed.

Valerie was readying to leave, placing a hand to Delia's shoulder as Delia reached out, body twisted slightly towards the other nurse and squeezed her hand. There eyes met for a moment and in this moment the door to Delia's bedroom burst open, a slight knock or a thud hit the door and a tall slightly disheveled red-head barreled through it.

Delia jumped from the bed and almost a foot in the air. "Patsy!" She yelped, her hands reaching to cover her look of sheer astonishment. "Pats! You're here! You're really here."

Delia threw herself into Patsy's arms, her hands reaching around the taller woman's shoulders as Delia buried her face in warm neck. Patsy closed her eyes as tightly as her arms around the smaller woman, for a moment each forgetting the other person in the room. Forgetting the need for explanations, for words, for breath.

Patsy straightened first, slightly loosening her hold on Delia but unable to drop it entirely. She threw a curious glance at the woman getting up from Delia's bed and then back to the woman she had seeked out, returned to.

"Deels. I'm home." She said briefly, looking again to the intruder.

Delia seemed suddenly to remember Valerie also and she pulled her arms away and took one small step back from Patsy, putting fingers around Patsy's wrist to prolong their contact.

"Pats! I can't believe it." Her smile was dazzling.

Valerie shifted awkwardly as she took a step towards them, wishing to leave but unable to get around them as they blocked the doorway.

"Hello Patsy." She finally took to introducing herself. "I'm Valerie Dyer, new midwife. I've heard a lot about you from Delia and the others." She assured politley.

"I wish I could say the same." Patsy replied, eyeing the nurse with some coldness before she checked herself. "I mean I have been quite unreachable for some time…" She trailed off and shot a quick apologetic look at Delia.

"Well, I should let the two of you catch up." Valerie clapped her hands together and edged her way around them to the door. "I'm pleased to see you back." She added sincerely, a short nod at Delia.

Delia had actually tucked her hands inside her elbows, arms folded across her chest to keep from flinging her arms once again around her love. As Valerie closed the door the two remaining women looked silently at one another for a long moment, smiles barely contained until Delia whooped and Patsy gasped, whispering Delia's name as they came together again.

"You're here." Delia whispered over and over into Patsy's shoulder, her cheek, before their lips met desperately, fiercely.

Delia dragged her mouth away from Patsy's. "Where were you? I didn't hear anything! I didn't know what had happened?!"

Patsy groaned unhappily. "I'm so sorry my darling, I know you must have been worried sick…" Patsy led them to the bed and collapsed tiredly, relief making her weary. "After my father, after he passed, I was a mess. I thought I was prepared but It was still such a shock, I felt so alone and I just couldn't reach out to anyone, even you. I had to go through the house and I found all of mother's things. All our childhood toys, Joanna's dresses...I sank deeper and deeper into the past and I was afraid to come out again…by the time I realised what I was doing I was on the first boat home but we were delayed..." Patsy was anxious to get the explanation out but Delia lifted a finger to her lips and stilled her.

"Pats...You're here now." Delia attempted to soothe. "That's all that matters."

Patsy raised her brow in disagreement before letting the matter drop. She was back. She was with Delia and she was suddenly exhausted.

Patsy sighed again and pushed herself back onto the bed tugging Delia back with her, circling her arms around Delia's waist, her back against Patsy's front. Patsy kissed the top of Delia's head, sighed against her ear and Delia twisted slightly to allow their lips to brush softly once.

"You're home." Delia hummed happily.

A/N- Thanks for reading. Can't wait for tonight!


End file.
